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(No Model.) l u A. J. HOSKINS.

. CIGAR VENDING MACHINE.- No. 589,471. Patented Sept. 7, 1897.

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A.J.H0SK1NS. GIGAR VENDING MACHINE.

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ALVIS J. IIOSKINS, OF ALTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK N. VSCI'IAFIIIR AND HARRY C. BELK, F SAME PLACE.

CIGAR=VENDING MACHINE'.

SPECIFICATION fer-ming part ef Lettere Patent No. 589,471, dei-.ed seletembel1 7, 18er. s

Application led September 26, 1896. Serial No. 607,023. (No model.)

To all whom, il; may concern:

Beitknown that I, ALVIS J. IIIOSKINS, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Alton, Madison county, inthe State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cigar-Vending Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings', forming a part of this Io specification.

A My invention relates to that class of vending-machines which are operated by mechanism controlled by a coin inserted into the device, the said mechanism being released and made operative through the medium of the inserted coin. It possesses features or" novelty hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure I illustrates a front elevationol the device. Fig.

2o II illustrates a longitudinal horizontal section taken along' the line II III of Fig. I, looking from above. Fig. III illustrates aview similar to thatshown in Fig. II, but the hoppers are removed. Fig. IV is a vertical. cross-section taken along the line IV IV of Fig. I. Fig. V is a vertical longitudinal detail view taken along the line V V of Fig. IV, looking toward the right. lar view to that shown in Fig. V, but taken along the line VI VI of Fig. IV. Fig. VII is a detail view of the coin-chute,taken along the line VII VII of Fig. VIII. Fig. VIII is a vertical cross-section of the said coin-ch ute,taken along the line VIII VIIIof Fig. VII.

l designates the base of the machine-casing; 2, the front; 3, the ends 5 et, the top, and 5 the removable back or door. The upper portion of the front is constructed of glass in order to permit a view of the interior of the machine.

The machine as I have shown it is provided with a medial parti tion dividing it into duplicate compartments provided with hoppers and discharging mechanism. The object of providing a duplicate deviceV in one casing is to enable two different grades or brands of ci-- gars or other articles of merchandise to be disbursed. It is evident, however, that the device may be employed with equal facility for the vending of one grade or kind of article. It is further designed to dispose of cigars or other articles from the original package, the

Fig. VI illustratesa simisaid packagebeing opened and inverted when placed in the machine.

G G are the inclined sides of the two hoppers, hinged to a central partition?" 8 designates a package which in this instance is a cigar-box. This box being opened and inverted, the cigars fall down into the hopper and rest in plain view upon the sides 6. The lid or cover 9 of the box is vertical 6o and rests against the glass front, exposing thereby the label usually attached, thus affording the purchaser a means of knowing-the kind or brand of varticles that are contained in the package. The box rests on cleats provided for the purpose on the inner sides of the ends 3. It is kept pressed to the front by means of a coil-sprin g ll), which bears against a spacing-block ll,which block serves the purpose of not only keepin g the box 8 in4 position, 7o but, also of keeping the cigars lIl2'pr0p'erly placed to prevent their binding.

An advantage of putting the box and contents into the machine in the manner described is that it permits the saleof the ar- 7 5 ticles direct from the original package.

13 are blocks seated beneath'thelower and outer ends of the sides 6, below whichare inclined grooves l4,that form slideways through which the cigars or other articles are'dis- 8o charged from the machine through the exitopenings l5.

1G are entrance-openings for the insertion of a coin.

17 is an inclined guideway through which 85 the coin drops.

18 18 I8" are the coins.

19 is a passage-plate of a width approximately that of the diameter of the coin admitted. Y

2O is a weighted foot having its bottom inclined toward the coin-'entrance and held in place by a spring-arm 2l.

22 is a spring side to the passage-plate 19.

23 is an outside push-piece, and it, With the 95 part 18, the side 22, and a shoulder 28, adapted to strike an inserted coin, are all movable, but rigid with each other.

24 is a piece similar to 23, but stationary.

The piece 23 also controls the movement roo of the block 13, which carries in its opening the cigar l2, so that when moved far enough the opening is brought coincident with the slide 14.

are projections which bear against the end of the side 22, and thus limit the movement of the spring side 22. 2U are also projections, narrowing the space between the side 22 and the front to less than the diameter of the coin. The bside 22 being` a spring and its end bearing against projection 25 the block 13 cannot normally be moved by pushpiece 23 to enable one to obtain a cigar. This is further aided by the coil-sprin g 27, the tension of which keeps the block 13 tothe position shown in Fig. VI and the left hand of Fig. III.

rIhe coin-slot 16 is placed in a face-plate, which is provided with a track or guideway 17, over which the coin is adapted to pass. Vhen it reaches the bottom of this guideway, it is in the position of 1S on the left-hand side of Fig. III. Its left edge will then bear against the part 28, :rigid with block 13 and push-piece By drawing the movable piece 23 toward the fixed piece 24E the coin will be forced around projection 26 under the ineline of weight 20. Being thus forced around projection 26 theside 22 is pushed outward by the coin and its end is forced beyond or out of line with the stop-piece 25. The block 13 is thus moved to a position in which its opening, carrying a cigar, is coincident with the slideway 14. Consequently the cigar is deposited thereon and allowed to drop out the exit 15. Then the coin passes the projection 26, the tension of the spring side 22 forces it to the position shown by 18, and the coil-spring 27 draws the block 13 back into its original position, as shown on the left side of Fig. III, the right of said figure showing the device in position adapted to drop a cigar into the slide 1l.

The passage of the coin is through the slot 16, down the inclined guide 17, onto the plate 19. The form of the face-plate is such as to cause the coin to face on its side. It then passes under weight 20, being forced around projection 26 and down the guideway 19 into a suitable receptacle. 1

rlhe purpose of the weighted arm 2O is to hold the coin in place after the slide on which said coin rests is returned from the position shown on the right-hand side of Fig. III. The bottom of this weighted arm 2O is preferably of rubber, which binds the coin and prevents it from riding back when the spring draws the slide into the normal position shown on the left-hand side of' Fig. III. Thus it will be seen that this weighted arm 20 performs a valuable function.

The purpose of the spacing-block or distance-board 11 is to regulate the depth of the hopper in accord with the length oi' the cigar or other article in the hopper, so that the articles may be confined in-a depth approximately equal to their length, thereby preventing the liability of their becoming crossed in the hopper and not feeding properly.

The sides G of the hopper are hinged to the partition 7, which allows vibration and permits their upward movement when the cigar is being ejected, thereby preventing it from being bruised, as might be the case were the sides rigid.

I claim as my invcntion- 1. In a vending-machine, the combination of a casing, a hopper in said casing, a slide located beneath said hopper, a slide over which a coin is adapted to fall on its insertion into the machine, a track over which said coin passes, a spring side to said track, a projection on one side of said track, but rigid with the side of the box, and free from the moving portion said projection being adapted to be struck by an inserted coin in its movement upon the track for the purpose of displacing the spring side from the line of travel of said track, substantially as set forth.

2. In a vending-machine, the combination of a casing, a hopper in said casing, a slide located beneath said hopper, a pull by means of which said slide is actuated, a weighted keeper adapted to retain a coin on said slide, a spring adapted to return said slide to its normal position, and a keeper arranged to control the movement of said slide until displaced by the intervention of an inserted coin, substantially as set forth.

3. In a vending-machine, the combination of a coin-chute provided with a coin-receiving slot, a guideway for said coin, and a weighted keeper adapted to keep said coin in position, substantially as described.

4. A vending-machine comprising a passage-plate having a stop-piece, a block having a shoulder, and spring side moving therewith, and the projection on the passage-plate for forcing the coin and the spring side outward from the stop-piece; substantially as described.

ALVIS J. IIOSKINS.

In presence of- .,T. HARRY G. Sci-inca, J. M. GAIsnn.

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